The 2024 FCG Team Guinea-Bissau is a testament to the power of diversity and shared passion. It consists of five students, three females and two males, from various school backgrounds and ages. They all share an unwavering passion for delving deeper into robotics and STEM. This shared passion unites them and fuels their commitment to participating in the FGC 2024. Two female mentors joined the team this year, bringing diverse backgrounds and a female touch to help the team reach its full potential.

Our Students

Ryan José da Silva, 16, is currently enrolled in 11th grade at Cooperativa Escolar São José and is a beacon of inspiration. His childhood enthusiasm for technology and robotics has evolved into a deep-seated passion that motivates him to learn more and participate in this fascinating competition. His aspiration to create intelligent machines that support and facilitate our lives is truly inspiring.

Laíssa Rafaela Araújo Duarte is the youngest team member, turning 14 on September 15th, 2024. She is studying in 9th grade at a Lebanese school. Laíssa was born in Brazil, where her parents from Guinea-Bissau were studying at university. She dreams of becoming an architect and is keen to learn more about AI and how robotics can help her do impactful work for her country, particularly in designing sound green infrastructure. Becoming part of the team in this competition was her main goal since she learned about FCG years ago.

Luna Barbosa Pitti Rivera (Team Spokesperson), at 16 years old, has already lived in multiple countries, bringing with her a wealth of international background and experience. Despite living away from her home country of Guinea-Bissau, Luna has kept close ties with her family and friends. She is currently studying in the 11th grade at the Lycée Français Blaise Pascal d’Abidjan in the SIA (Système International Américain). Luna has dreamt of becoming an architect since an early age and has pursued internships to learn more about the profession. Her aspirations extend to studying in the United States after graduating high school. Luna’s curiosity about robotics and her passion for STEM was fostered by her mother, a goodwill ambassador for the Fundação ATENA para Criança e Mulher. With a deep-seated belief in the potential of robotics to transform lives and aid her country, Luna is driven by a desire to contribute to Guinea-Bissau’s economy, which heavily relies on agriculture as its primary source of subsistence and income.

Rui Higino Mango (Team Captain) is 16 and attends Liceu João XXIII. Rui enjoys playing and learning new things and is intensely interested in recent technologies. At age 15, he won a prize in an Information Technology competition at school, demonstrating his ability and creativity in this field. He has also participated in puzzle competitions that require strategy and focus and has developed these skills. Rui is the top student in physics and history in his class.

Daiane Melissa Pereira Lopes Da Cunha is 17 years old and lives in Bissau in the São Vicente neighbourhood. She is currently in the 12th grade at the Liceu João XXIII school. Daiane has always been interested in programming and robotics, so she wants to study mechatronics engineering to create medical devices. She loves reading, and her favourite subjects at school are Biology and Physics. Daiane firmly believes in the power of collaboration and teamwork. She looks forward to participating in an environment where she can share ideas, solve problems, and learn from others. She also believes that teamwork, effective communication, and leadership skills will be valuable assets to her team. She knew about the program in 2022 and has been very interested in participating as a member of the Guinea Bissau team because it would be a unique opportunity to interact with and gain more experience in the field she enjoys.

Our Female Adult Mentors

Neima Ferreira has been coordinating Team Guinea-Bissau since 2019 and has extensive experience in international development. She has worked in infrastructure project finance, private sector development, and gender-lens investing. Neima was born in Guinea-Bissau and moved to Cabo Verde during the civil war in Guinea-Bissau in 1998. Despite living in Côte d’Ivoire, Neima helps many girls in Guinea-Bissau access early education and supports their mothers through training and capacity building at Npili School, owned by Fundação ATENA. Neima is married and the mother of three girls, two attend robotic extracurricular classes at the International Community School of Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.

Djariato Manso lives in Switzerland but is also from Guinea-Bissau. She became passionate about robotics when she first helped Team Guinea-Bissau in Geneva in 2022 when a mentor couldn’t make it. Since then, Djariato has supported the team and assisted the Foundation in mobilising sponsorships. She also enrolled her daughter in robotics extracurricular classes at school. Djariato is married and has four kids.

Team Guinea Bissau 2024 is not just a group of participants but a collective of highly motivated individuals dedicated to learning and building an impactful project during the 2024 competition. Their commitment to acquiring new skills and their aspiration to support the development of the agriculture sector in Guinea-Bissau is genuinely admirable.

Thank you to our supporters!

Team Media